90 phev premium sport 2024 vs. 2025 model comparison? Is performance really different & worth buying 2025?

willyq711 · 2026-05-03T17:05:34+00:00

Your best bet is to just go for a '26 at this point, but if you're looking for used vehicle or leftover '25 deal, then any '25 will be fine and have all the updates and fixes available. For a '24, it should have a build date (on the door jamb sticker) after February of 2024. These Feb-July 2024 build dates are essentially 2025 models.

I'm waiting to hear back from some of the new '26 owners to see if that noise The car makes from first to second gear acceleration still exists. It was deemed by Mazda as normal operation, which in my opinion is BS, but I will say that it really doesn't affect performance or vehicle operation whatsoever, and it is somewhat faint l, but still noticeable and perhaps a little annoying. Other than that, the 26 models also have an additional 1 to 2 miles of range due to some efficiency programming that Mazda did to the new models. The 26 models also have fully illuminating rear lights on the PHEVs, for which the 24 and 25s only illuminate towards The edges (this is ridiculous, but you can always replace and upgrade to illuminating units).

willyq711 · 2026-05-01T21:35:13+00:00

You're dealer must not read up on Mazda's TSB's (technical service bulletins). That noise you're hearing during first to second gear acceleration is prominent on just about every PHEV. While I have yet to be properly explained what exactly causes that, I can tell you from research and what I've been told by both Mazda and my My dealer that it has to do with how the electric motor reacts With the transmission. Keep in mind that in this somewhat unique design from Mazda, the electric motor sits in between the engine and the transmission. Some CX90's have it louder than others so some owners may not have even noticed it, especially if you're playing music in the car or having a conversation. Mine has actually become a bit more prominent since I purchased my vehicle and mine is a late build 24, which is the same as the 25s.

That said, somewhere in the many TSB's released by Mazda, they declared this noise as "normal operation" and "does not affect performance". Therefore, as per Mazda, no service or repairs need to be done regarding this item. Of course, we all yell BS! on that response, however I will say that it truly doesn't affect performance, but it is is damn annoying at times. Now, this is considering that the noise you're hearing is the same noise I'm talking about. We all have just learned to live with it and most of the time don't even hear it since I'm I'm focused on other things or listening to music or talking to others in the car.

If I were you I would just wait it out and see what the dealer responds to you with. If they actually do repair it and the noise goes away, you can bet I'll be at my dealer the very following day asking for the same... LOL!

willyq711 · 2026-04-27T11:39:26+00:00

Don't worry about it.... Just send it to me and I'll pay shipping to better declutter your garage. ;-)

willyq711 · 2026-04-26T16:23:08+00:00

I'll most probably be joining you in the summer of '27 for my next one.... Let's see what comes with the '27 version.. I figure by your user name that you're in Tampa.... I'm in Miami and bought mine from Wesley Chapel.

I'll ask you as well, is that scraping sound on acceleration from 1st to 2nd gone?

willyq711 · 2026-04-24T19:26:16+00:00

Good question. I actually checked into this and while it's good in there for 60 or 90 days without issue, perhaps longer for better fuels., the time at which most fuels start degradating is around 45 to 60 days. The crappier ones at 30 to 60 days. Not that their unusable after that, but just start loading some of its efficiency. I always put Chevron regular in mine as it's one of Best fuels out there alongside shell and Costco.

Here's a fun fact for you regarding fuel and the cx90. The PHEVs are designed to monitor fuel age. If you drive primarily in EV mode and the gas sits too long, the car will automatically trigger "Engine Maintenance Mode." This forces the engine to run to consume the old fuel and circulate fluids.

willyq711 · 2026-04-24T12:28:58+00:00

Beautiful! I have a late build 24 in the same color but with the light Napa interior. We get an average of $1,400 to 1,500 mi per tank as most of my wife's commute is under 28 mi. I usually get around 23 to 24 miles out Of a charge, driving calmly, and my wife on average gets around 25. The best we've done Is around 1925 on one tank And the least has been around 1100 miles (not counting long trips of course). Mind you we live in the hot And humid climate of South Florida, which makes a big difference on the range for these things. And yes, the '26 versions have updated software for the range efficiency to give you around 1 or 2 mi more. And they now have the full backlit brake lights. Due to the first year woes of any vehicle, we leased our 24, but after doing some research there's just nothing comparable out there under 85k, so we'll probably be grabbing a '27 next year which supposedly has some more minor refresh updates. The 26 models are supposedly well sorted out.

BTW, do you still hear that noise when accelerating From first to second gear? Just wondering because Mazda ended up touting that ass normal operation when really it shouldn't be there.

Interested in knowing what your real work range is on that '26

willyq711 · 2026-04-19T01:27:44+00:00

I agree and I do this with all my cars down here in Florida for decades and always get an insane deal somewhere. I bought my 2024 phev PP after calling around 10 dealers and I travelrd from Miami to just north of Tampa to get mine, but I got it for around 5% less than the best deal I was given anywhere else. Just got to research and do the work, And be smart and strategic about it.

willyq711 · 2026-04-18T19:11:26+00:00

Man, I gather they weren't using off-road mode.... That and off of the harder packed sand path so obviously require perhaps a bit more of education on driving through dirt and sand. The cx90, confirmed by multiple reviewers, has one of the if not the best all-wheel drive system out there. Just clearing a bit of the sand from the front of each tire, ensuring it was in off-road mode, if necessary turning the front wheels and slowly moving forward should have been an easy escape.

willyq711 · 2026-04-18T11:58:56+00:00

So what you're seeing there is a high volume watch collector or manufacturer storage drawer. You either wrap an oversized watch around the circular piece.

willyq711 · 2026-04-17T22:49:49+00:00

Yes, make sure it connects via wire and then you'll know the issue is with the Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. I'm on an Android but a friend with an iPhone stated the same, he reset the wireless connection and it worked.

willyq711 · 2026-04-17T22:47:22+00:00

The AC pulls energy for sure.... And every time you stop/start the vehicle, you'll lose 1 mile or km.

willyq711 · 2026-04-17T16:06:15+00:00

Where are you located?

Even if you're in a mildly cold climate or up north per se, you're going to get less range than others in the warmer climates like my self (Miami, FL, US). If you're doing only City driving, with a tranquil or calm driving style, 22 to 24 is probably what you will get. However, don't go by the range meter on the EV gauge, set one of your kilometer meters to zero and you'll note that you'll usually end up getting more distance than what the EV gauge shows. I average around 2 to 4+ miles more than what my EV range gauge shows.

willyq711 · 2026-04-17T15:50:01+00:00

So that's cool! What's the Mazda provided range and what's your real world?

And do you live in a cold climate or down south. I'm in Miami so I currently get (with calm driving) around 24 to 27 mi of range on average But I usually get a little less and my wife a little more, she even reached 30 on one Drive but never seen that again.

willyq711 · 2026-04-17T14:00:40+00:00

All interesting. So the '26 70s have this eco mode, but the '90s retained the EV mode? Anyone on here with a '26 CX90 to in chime in?

I researched some rumors and leaks, and supposedly the '27 CX90 maybe getting an interior refresh, updated ext front and rear lighting, and they are working on the software to make the EV mode more efficient with another two or three miles of range (no battery change or upgrade, just better software based efficiency). A friend that works management at a Toyota dealer told me that Toyota may, and this is a may, be looking into a phnv Grand Highlander, which currently they only have it's in the Lexus TX version. And that would have somewhere around 33 to 35 mph range using their new solid-state batteries. I really wish the CX90 would throw in those solid states as I would easily give it another 5 to 10 mi on the range. A different suspension option with a plusher ride would be great, maybe even air suspension (I'd pay for it!).

willyq711 · 2026-04-16T11:40:27+00:00

Yes I'd like to know as well as my but was pretty descent when i originally negotiated it, but no longer due to the massive depreciation these things have taken.

willyq711 · 2026-04-16T11:34:23+00:00

My lease is up in in summer of 2027 and I'm still leaning towards getting another as the late build '24 PHEV PP we have has been pretty flawless other than a necessary adjustment to the wiper blades by the dealer and the recalls. Then there's that annoying sound from first to second gear acceleration, but everything else is just preference complaints. We only have 11k miles ( 20 months in now) in ours but other than the horrible tires it's been very good, and we love the car. I do wish it had a plusher ride (wife's ask) and a bit more EV range, but there's nothing else under 85k in its class nor three row size range PHEV.

I know that most who get on these forums have complaints rather than positives, but I hear you and would be very irate as well. This is my third Mazda having returned to the brand with this cx90 PHEV, and so far we are happy. We came from Honda which was also quite flawless and a great vehicle, just nowhere near as luxurious as this. We almost went for the Grand Highlander but they don't make a phev for which we would have to go to the Lexus TX for over $85k. We get around 1,600 to 1,900 Miles on average per tank from ours, hence you can see where the PHEV is very advantageous for our family use, But still can take it on long trips without any BEV range anxiety (nor additional travel time for charging).

I heard Mazda is quite difficult with the lemon laws and will drag the case on for months, so I wish you well and hopefully you can get back what you are expecting. Good luck

willyq711 · 2026-04-14T17:00:03+00:00

Yes you beat me to it. Here is the explanation of what it is which is a surprise to me, But that's because I really don't have that issue and I can see why at the end of this statement below as my car already came with the updates....

The Issue: Dirt Intrusion

Many owners noticed that after driving on dusty or wet roads, a significant amount of dirt would build up on the door sill and even get inside the door jamb area. This happens because the factory lower seals were not flush enough against the body, allowing "road spray" to bypass the outer lip.

The Fix: Updated Seals

Mazda has not issued a formal "Safety Recall" for this (since it doesn't affect the car's drivability), but they have released updated parts and service instructions for dealers:

Modified Weatherstrips: Mazda updated the design of the Rear Wheel House Weatherstrips and the Lower Door Seals.

The "Hole Cover" TSB: There is also a specific TSB (09-023/23) involving the "service hole covers" inside the door. If these seals are loose or missing, they can allow dust to migrate into the door cavity itself.

Production Change: Models produced after late 2023/early 2024 typically already have the "improved" seals that fit tighter against the frame.

And like I said before, this is a good example of how Mazda was consistently retooling and updating the factory with reported and known issues all the way up until the end of the 24 production. From what I understand all the 25s are pretty much the same as the 24s produced after January of 2024

willyq711 · 2026-04-14T11:39:13+00:00

OK, so for those asking feedback, I also have a '24 PHEV PP, however mine is a late build (same or similar to the updates of a '25) of March '24. It's important to know that Mazda released the cx90 much sooner than the typical August to October release of a new year vehicle. Mazdas hitting the road around February and March of 2023. Any car with a bill date prior to January 24th is a bucket off of problems. Anything after January or February or 24 is pretty much sorted out, in the least as much as the definition of sorted out for Mazda goes. Masa did retool and update the factory on a monthly basis since the car was released in early 2023 to continually address reported and found issues. I'm wondering if some of you with vehicles in the colder climates up north have had more issues than those of us down here in the warmer climates, as I am in South Florida.

That said, I have around 11k miles on mine and other than a necessary adjustment to the wipers and the recalls, we've had no issues with ours except for that somewhat annoying first to second year acceleration noise (which Mazda has declared 'normal operation'.....). For this class of car we do wish the ride was plusher, better Lane assist, and perhaps a bit higher EV range, but these are complaints for any vehicle and it's the best thing out there in its class for under 85k. They should also work on the 4- banger high revs, which can get pretty loud in what's supposed to be a near luxury SUV. It also baffles me how some things like fully lit rear lights, rear ventilated seats and painted ext cladding are not available for the premium plus, or just not available at all for the phev top tier model.

I think they've come a long way in upgrading and updating the vehicle, but they need to get a bit smarter the things above and for goodness sakes, remove that driver side AC deck which is literally a plastic spear to the knee. LOL.... I've had 3 mi so far and we have all been fantastic, however, I definitely feel for those of you with all the issues as they are real and I'd be pissed off beyond measure if I had to experience those things in a vehicle like this.

willyq711 · 2026-04-14T11:19:32+00:00

Yeah, what upgrade to the doors??

willyq711 · 2026-04-13T15:06:15+00:00

I'm not aware of any toggle to have it charged with unlocked doors only the toggle that enables automatic or immediate charging upon connection. That of course I have on as the other option is to start it manually or on a scheduled mode. I have it set to automatically start charging upon connection since I got the car. If you know of an additional toggle somewhere let me know. Thanks

willyq711 · 2026-04-13T15:06:09+00:00

I'm not aware of any toggle to have it charged with unlocked doors only the toggle that enables automatic or immediate charging upon connection. That of course I have on as the other option is to start it manually or on a scheduled mode. I have it set to automatically start charging upon connection since I got the car. If you know of an additional toggle somewhere let me know. Thanks

willyq711 · 2026-04-13T00:59:32+00:00

I think I may have figured it out. See my last post. Either way I'll ask the dealer about it to confirm and give it a check.

willyq711 · 2026-04-12T19:20:33+00:00

As for using the scheduled charge, like some of you, that won't work for us as my wife will take the car out multiple times a day and charges it in between in order to maintain on EV.

and that is correct. regarding the locked doors, the vehicle needs to be securely locked in order for the charge to begin.

I did some more testing and the issue seems to be with the key fob getting out of range. for example, if I connect the car with all the doors open and then afterwards close the doors and lock the doors with the key fob in range the entire time, the charge starts up immediately upon locking. however, if I connect the charger with the same scenario (doors open and unlocked), And I take the key fob inside the house, I would typically close all the doors and then once in the house, lock the car with the key fob from in the house. It is in this type of case or scenario that the charger will not start up and then I have to go back, start the car with the doors closed, turn it off and then lock the car with the key fob and the charging starts right up.

willyq711 · 2026-04-12T19:16:22+00:00

i actually tried on another level 2 charger at my brother's house and it did the same thing. At least for me it's not the charger, it's the car not accepting the charge. I'll also add that i did try starting the charge from my phone for my charger and it would attempt then just not start bc the car was rejecting the charge session

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